I visited Berlin before Christmas in 2011, 2012 and here in 2014. On this occasion we got tickets to visit the dome at the top of the Reichstag (Federal Parliament). Our slot was in the late afternoon / early evening and without a tripod, I had to make do with handheld high ISO shots and a very steady hand!

All within easy walking distance of each other, the Reichstag (parliament), the Brandenburg Gate – both fully restored after substantial damage during the Second World War and the Holocaust memorial, built some way to the south of the Brandenburg Gate, are popular tourist spots in Berlin. Further away, at the Alexanderplatz is the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock), showing the time in major cities around the world.

A couple of shots from the Swiss city of Fribourg, taken in 2011. In one, I have used a combination of tone mapping, high pass sharpen and heavy saturation to give the impression of a 1960s postcard. The steps in the black and white shot reminded me of some of M. C. Escher’s artworks.

During my first year on the committee of the Southampton University Photographic Society, we organised a trip (on the cheap; Ryanair flights and campsite-style accommodation) for 36 of us to Venice. At the last minute, I chose to substitute my then-new EOS5 in place of the two Olympus OM series manual-focus SLRs I had intended to take. I don’t think I regretted that decision.

Starting in Dublin, we drove around 1600km in 7 days in a hire car clockwise around Ireland, visiting; Glendalough, Hollywood, Killkenny, Cashel, Cork, Killarney, Dingle, Limmerick, Galway, Cong, Clifden, Cliffs of Moher, Sligo, Enniskillen, Navan and back to Dublin. Overall perception was of a rugged (and often damp!) island, but with a certain charm, not least because of its friendly inhabitants who enjoy partaking in locally produced beers and spirits and traditional music and dancing.

A pre-Christmas visit to this Tyrolean city. Somehow the snow seems to suit it and having never visited before, I struggled to imagine it without snow. One of the notable features is the Goldenes Dach (golden roof) located in the centre of the town.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and in general lacks modern high rise buildings (with the notable exception of the television tower). By night it is especially picturesque and romantic.

My first visit to Prague was in March 2008, where these photos were taken with a Canon EOS350D.